Liquid dispenser

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a liquid dispenser for delivering various dosages of a liquid detergent. This device is utilized in a dishwashing machine door. The device more particularly relates to a mechanism for metering and discharging liquid from a container through a pivoted door of a flat form having an external opening with a tank in a conduit in open communication with the tank, and a chamber in fluid communication with the tank at an appropriate setting of the pivoted door and furthermore having a closing device located in the lower part of said chamber for emptying and communicating with the pipe. The chamber is provided with a plunger which extends into the pipe through the pipe opening.

United States Patent 119:

DAssuncao Oct. 21, 1975 LIQUID DISPENSER [75] inventor: Jean-Bernard DAssuncao, Nice,

France [73] Assignee: Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio [22] Filed: Feb. 19, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 443,275

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 16, I973 France 73.305525 [52] U.S. Cl 222/165; 222/454 [51] Int. Cl. B67D 5/64 [58] Field of Search 222/307, 308, 438, 439, 222/440, 454, 455, 456, 52,70, I60,

Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Larry H. Martin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Teagno & Toddy [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to a liquid dispenser for delivering various dosages of a liquid detergent. This device is utilized in a dishwashing machine door. The device more particularly relates to a mechanism for metering and discharging liquid from a container through a pivoted door of a flat form having an external opening with a tank in a conduit in open communication with the tank, and a chamber in fluid communication with the tank at an appropriate setting of the pivoted door and furthermore having a closing device located in the lower part of said chamber for emptying and communicating with the pipe. The chamber is provided with a [56] Reierences cued plunger which extends into the pipe through the pipe UNITED STATES PATENTS opening.

2,946,489 7/l960 Brucken 222/454 x 2,997,047 8/l96l Anderson 222/455 x 8 Clams 5 Draw'ng F'gum III il l6 -3 I! i l 1 2a 1s l a r 19 1 2! 3 3\ 4 26 In: 2 -a2 I l 1 :/9 1 \5 5 E4; t P- US. Patent 0a. 21, 1975 Sheet 1 of 3 3,913,793

U.S. Patnt 0a. 21, 1975 Sheet 2 of3 3,913,793

N? N Hull.

US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,913,793

FIG. 4

LIQUID DISPENSER The invention provides an improved liquid dispenser device with a single orifice of more appropriate design, less subject to leakage, and easier to assemble than heretofore prior art devices. In addition, the volume selection is controllable with precision.

The device described in US. Pat. No. 2,997,047, provides a classic closing device without a delivery tube said device is characterized by the chamber being placed above the pipe for the emptying position and is provided with a plunger allowing for its useful volume and a control member extending into the pipe so as to be accessible through the opening.

The plunger may be shifted if made integral with a small bar which crosses the passage. The small bar found outside the chamber may be moved by suitable means of displacement.

According to one mode of development, these means include an element whose rotation makes the small bar shift its position. In this way the small bar can be engaged in the helicoidal groove of a tubular or cylindrical element.

Advantageously this tube is split and engaged in pipe, and one of its ends faces the inlet opening of the device. Communication between the outside and the tank is effected by the opening, the pipe and the slit in the tube.

This arrangement is very advantageous in that this permits having only one opening in the face of the device, both for filling with the liquid. for access to the tube for modifying its position, and for fastening the device in a door through the outer part of the pipe.

If we also make the chamber and the sub-jacent pipe communicate in the emptying position through a closeable opening, we can make the dose of liquid issue from the chamber through the same opening which served for the entrance of the liquid into the tank. To this end we can make the opening of the chamber pass out into the pipe behind a plugging flange surrounding the shaft of the stopper and engaged in the pipe.

In the attached drawings, given only by way of example:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the axial plane of the tube of FIG. 1 which is also the plane of symmetry of the two chambers of the device in a generally flattened form lodged in a door.

FIG. 3 is a view in cross section along the line III-III of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating the functioning of the device, in which the means of driving the plungers have been removed, and the wall of the tank partially cut away.

The device according to the invention shown in the drawings is intended to be incorporated in a door P (FIG. 2) along the pivoting horizontal axis of the washing machine in order to empty into the latter at each opening and closing of the door by emitting a controllable dose of liquid detergent product.

It includes a tank with a single opening 2 for refilling. This opening can be stopped up with a stopper 3 with a plugging or stopping flange 4.

In FIG. 1 the device is in the emptying position, a dose of liquid is set apart from the reservoir being ready to empty into the washing machine.

An internal vertical wall 5, an internal horizontal wall 6 and an internal wall 7, together with the upper face 8 and the faces 9 (containing the opening 2) and 10 adjacent to the tank, define a dosage chamber 11. Likewise the face l2 of the tank, with the interior horizontal and vertical walls l3, 14, define a dosage chamber 15 symmetrical to the first in relation to the axial vertical plane of the stopper 3.

Slits 16 are made between the face 8 and the walls 7 and 14 forming a passage for communication between the tank 1 and the chambers 11 and 15.

The chambers 11 and 15 include in front of the face 9 and in a parallel direction with the face 9 to it, slits or openings 17, which connect them through an opening 18, made in the lower part of the chambers ll, 15 and provided with a center punch 19 provided for shutting off, with a pipe 29 behind the flange 4, and therefore with the opening and interior of the washing machine. The pipe 29 is below the chambers Il, IS in emptying position.

On the ridges of the walls 7 and 14 there rests a small bar 20 integral with hollow plungers 21 and whose face 22 can be opened. The stud 23 of the small bar 20 engages in the helicoidal groove 24 of a tube 25 split at 26. This tube is inserted in the pipe 29 into which the end 28 of the stopper 3 penetrates with the interposition of a washer 27. The front face of the tube 25 appears in the opening 7 when the stopper 3 is withdrawn. Slot 30 is provided for the insertion of a screwdriver in order to turn the tube 25.

The preferred operation of the device is as follows:

The door P being horizontal (FIG. 2), we remove the stopper 3 and fill the tank I with liquid through the opening 2, the pipe 29 and the slot 26 of the tube 25. In the same way we fill the space in the chambes 11 and 15 lying between their walls and the plungers 21, since the slots 16 forming a communicating passage between the tank I and the chambers 11 and 15, are then vertical (FIG. 4) and since the opening 18 is sealed by the center punch 19.

With the aid of a screwdriver engaged in the slot 30, we have turned the tube 25 The stud 23 has followed the groove 24 and brought the small bar 20 and the plungers 21 into a vertical alignment. In FIG. 4 we have shown in a line of dots and dashes, a lower position of the plungers 21' in the chamber after they have been moved in the direction of the arrow. Depending on the position of the plungers 21, the available volume of the chamber, consisting mainly of the space lying between the bottom 31 of the plungers and the face 10 of the device, varies. The opening 2 is closed by the stopper 3.

The door is rotated through an angle of (FIGS. 1 and 5). The slots 16 become horizontal. The levels N and M of the liquid in the tank and in the chambers 11 and 15 are lower than the level of the slots 16. The liquid enclosed in the chambers is thus set apart. They represent a volume which is greater, the higher the position of the plungers was in the position shown in FIG.

The liquid thus set aside flows through the slots 17 in front of the opening 18.

By raising the center punch 19, we release the opening 18. The liquid set aside flows through this opening into the pipe 29 behind the flange 4 and thence into the washing machine through the opening 2.

The center punch 19 is lowered and the door P is put back in the starting position in FIG. 4. A new dose of liquid is set apart from the tank I in the chambers 11 and 15. This dose is equal to the preceding one. It will be poured into the washing machine as before by the tilting of the door P and the displacement of the center punch 19.

When we wish to change the amount of liquid set apart, we alter, once for all. the position of the plungers 21 by rotating the tube 25 with the aid of a screwdriver engaged in the slot 30 which is accessible through the empty pipe 29.

The tank 1 consists of two parts fastened together by welding along two plane surfaces 32, one of which encloses the chambers ll, 15 and the means for controlling the volume, which are the plungers 21, the small bar 20, the tube 25 and the pipe 29 and in general all the elements of the tank whose functions are other than the simple constitution of an enclosed reserve space.

in this way the balance of the tank may have any shape and may be adapted to any type of washing machine, while the part enclosing the elements cited above remains identical from one model of the device to another and can be standardized and made in mass production.

I claim:

1. A device for setting apart and emptying a dose of a closing device displaceable from a sealing position of said chamber opening to a position of releasing the chamber opening;

a plunger located in said chamber for varying the useful volume of said chamber; and

a control member for controlling the position of said plunger, said control member extending into said pipe so as to be accessible through said external opening.

2. A device according to claim 1 further comprising said control organ including a small bar integral with the plunger for traversing the passage.

3. A device according to claim 2 further comprising said small bar engaging a helicoidal groove cut in an element mounted to rotate in the pipe.

4. A device according to claim 3 further comprising said element being a split cylinder.

5. A device according to claim 4 further comprising said stopper having a plugging flange engaged in the pipe and the opening from the chamber emptying behind this flange.

6. A device according to claim 1 further comprising said stopper having a plugging flange engaged in the pipe and the opening from the chamber emptying behind this flange.

7. A device according to claim 5 further comprising said tank being formed of two parts fastened together, one of which delimits the chamber and the volume control means and the other forms the enclosure for the reserve.

8. A device according to claim 1 further comprising said tank being formed of two parts fastened together, one of which delimits the chamber and the volume control means and the other forms the enclosure for the re se rve F t k UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT N0. 3 913 793 DATED October 21, 1975 INVENTOR(S) Jean-Bernard D'Assuncao It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 2, line 28: "7" should read "2".

Signed and Sealed this thirteenth Day of April1976 sum Arrest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer (mnmr'ssr'rmvr uj'larcrrts and Trademarks 

1. A device for setting apart and emptying a dose of a liquid in a container comprising: a door pivoting from a position of setting apart to a position of emptying with said door having an external opening; a tank located in said door; a pipe having a stopper placing said external opening into communication with said tank; a chamber located in the door and placed above said pipe in the emptying position; a chamber opening in the lower part of said chamber for the emptying position and for placing said chamber in fluid communication with said pipe; a closing device displaceable from a sealing position of said chamber opening to a position of releasing the chamber opening; a plunger located in said chamber for varying the useful volume of said chamber; and a control member for controlling the position of said plunger, said control member extending into said pipe so as to be accessible through said external opening.
 2. A device according to claim 1 further comprising said control organ including a small bar integral with the plunger for traversing the passage.
 3. A device according to claim 2 further comprising said small bar engaging a helicoidal groove cut in an element mounted to rotate in the pipe.
 4. A device according to claim 3 further comprising said element being a split cylinder.
 5. A device according to claim 4 further comprising said stopper having a plugging flange engaged in the pipe and the opening from the chamber emptying behind this flange.
 6. A device according to claim 1 further comprising said stopper having a plugging flange engaged in the pipe and the opening from the chamber emptying behind this flange.
 7. A device according to claim 5 further comprising said tank being formed of two parts fastened together, one of which delimits the chamber and the volume control means and the other forms the enclosure for the reserve.
 8. A device according to claim 1 further comprising said tank being formed of two parts fastened together, one of which delimits the chamber and the volume control means and the other forms the enclosure for the reserve. 